My First Season

My guest today worked in Club Med Sandpiper in April of 1989 as a Bar G.O. for his first season. He was born in the States, raised in Toronto and now resides in Arizona. Please help me welcome to MFS, Scott Richmond! Before Club Med, Scott played club hockey at Ohio State and after graduation, he found himself bartending at a nightclub in Oakland, California. It was there that a fellow bartender told him about Club Med. Scott drove down from San Francisco to Los Angeles, for his interview at the Hilton Hotel in Universal Studios, Hollywood. Before his scheduled interview that day, he popped into a bar and sitting next to him was none other than actor, Telly Savalas (Kojack)! Scott took this as a good omen and went on to ace his interview. He also shares a hilarious story about meeting the coach of the Boston Bruins, Mike Milbury, during a late arrival in 1990 in St. Lucia. Why is that funny? You will have to listen to this interview to find out! Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is first in a series that I am calling, "Amazing Women Doing Amazing Things”. My guest today is the incredible Sarah Williams from England. Sarah Williams is an author, vlogger, motivational speaker, marathoner and ultra runner. Sarah is also the host and creator of the two time award winning “Tough Girl Podcast”, a podcast where she interviews inspirational female explorers, adventurers, athletes and everyday women who have overcome great challenges. Her podcast is listened to in 174 countries around the world and has passed one million downloads. I invited her to talk about her podcast and also her many other achievements. The one I was most excited to talk to Sarah about primarily was that she ran the Marathon des Sables in 2016. Often described as “the toughest footrace in the world”, the Marathon des Sables is a race comprised of 6 stages over 7 days in the unforgiving Saharan desert and is the equivalent to running a marathon a day for 6 days straight in the extreme temperatures of the Sahara desert. The following year in 2017, she thru hiked the Appalachian Trail solo and unsupported (2,190 miles) in 100 days. We will talk about her many other accomplishments, as well as being the founder of her company, Tough Girl Challenges, which is all about motivating and inspiring women and girls to get fit, active, travel, explore and to encourage women and girls to have big dreams and to step outside their comfort zone. Please follow Sarah Williams on all social media below and please subscribe to her wonderful YouTube channel, which has many awesome videos of her adventures that we talked about on the podcast. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

https://www.youtube.com/c/SarahWilliamsToughGirlChallenges

https://www.instagram.com/toughgirlchallenges/

https://www.toughgirlchallenges.com/

https://twitter.com/_tough_girl?lang=en

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/Tough101/

I had the supreme pleasure of working with my next guest in Club Med Columbus Isle in 1999/2000, but his first season was as Landsports in Club Med Les Almadies, Senegal in 1996. Please help me welcome, Laurent “Tarzan” Fraix-Burnet! Tarzan was born in Bordeaux, France and he left his country at 18 years old and was in the medical services in the French army stationed in Senegal (I know, right, Tarzan in the army?!). His uncle conducted business with Serge Trigano and that is how Tarzan found himself to be working in Club Med. I called Tarzan in Guadeloupe for this interview, where he has been living the past decade and connections issues aside, you will hear an honest-to-gosh rooster crowing in the background! Tarzan and I had a lot of laughs and during this interview and we find out how he got his nickname, where he learned the crazy sign “Jessica” (that he used to drive me crazy with in Columbus Isle) and we share our mutual dislike of the dreaded power walk. At the end of the interview we talk about Tarzan being the owner and operator of his own excursion company in Guadeloupe, Tarzan Excursion Guadeloupe. If you are planning a trip there, please look him up! Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

Please take a moment to visit his website, Tarzan Excursion Guadeloupe and please follow him on Instagram @tarzan_excursion_guadeloupe

https://fr.excursionguadeloupe.com/excursion.html

https://www.instagram.com/tarzan_excursion_guadeloupe/

My guest today and I worked together in Club Med Paradise Island in 2002/2003 where he was Resp. of the Tennis team. I first met him in Columbus Isle in 1997 while he was on the way to his first season in Club Med Paradise Island in Winter of 1997 as a Tennis G.O. Everyone, please help me welcome from beautiful British Columbia, Petri Raito! I distinctly remember meeting Petri at the bar in Columbus Isle in 1997 and when he told me he was a Tennis G.O, I laughed (you will understand why at the start of the episode and if you know this G.O, then you already know why). Before Club Med, Petri was teaching tennis in New York and Connecticut and met someone that had worked for Club Med. He has so many stories that cover about 7-8 years that I don’t even want to mention them in this description so I don’t spoil them. Petri is also the co-founder and GM/CEO of Rossland Beer Company, an award-winning craft brewery tucked away in the glorious mountain town of Rossland, British Columbia (we will talk about how he founded his beer company at the end of the episode). Please check out his website below and give him a follow on Instagram (@rosslandbeerco). Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

http://rosslandbeer.com/

https://www.instagram.com/rosslandbeerco/

My guest today and I met during our first season together in Club Med Turks & Caicos in Summer of 1994. I was at the end of my season and she was starting her 94/95 season as a Boutique G.O. From California, please help me welcome Melissa Cuevas-McIntyre! Melissa has a very vivid account of her first season in Turks & Caicos and she shares her experience with us in great detail, including her favorite JoJo story, getting Padi certified, brushes with minor celebrities, two-cheek kissing Europeans, how to small-talk like a pro at lunch and her favorite Crazy Sign, Crocodile Rock (ugh). Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

I met today’s guest in Club Med Paradise Island in 2002/2003, where she was the resort photographer. Her first season was as an au pair Bar G.O. in Club Med Copper Mountain, Colorado in March of 1995. Originally from NYC, now living the good life in Mexico, please help me welcome to the show Paula Fishman! Paula initially went on vacation to Copper Mountain and then was recruited by the CDV, Carlos Castro, to work at that resort. The rest they say, is history. She worked as an au pair about 15 times before she had her first actual contract in Club Med Sonora Bay in the Summer of 1999. Being from New York, Paula has her own New York GM stories/dumb questions and they are a hoot! Today, Paula is the owner and operator of Casa Preciosa, which is two beach rental casitas 35 minutes from the city of Merida, in the town of Chuburna Puerto. If you are planning a trip to Mexico or are traveling through Mexico and are in the area, please look her up! (link provided below).

https://www.casapreciosayucatan.com/?fbclid=IwAR0BOChvXNGZAtNqZOukjTiqm_tunY66mwyY2kyd6RpgKqMyN9PicC_ON18

My guest today and I worked together in Club Med Paradise Island in 2002/2003. His first season was in Club Med Punta Cana in Winter of 1999 as a Tennis G.O. From Montreal (yahoo!) please help me welcome, Peter Anthony! Peter started to learn tennis at age 12 and eventually became a ranked competitive junior tennis player in the province of Quebec. He was teaching tennis in Montreal when a fellow tennis pro told him about Club Med. He gave Peter G.A.’s number and the rest is history. Even though it was Peter’s first season, he quickly caught on that he joined one of the most stacked G.O. teams talent-wise, of the late 90’s. Just to give you an idea, Moïses Aykanat was the CDV, Cookie the Chief of Animation, Kiko was the Chief of Sports, Flo was the animator and Monika from Brazil was the choreographer. At Circus you had Mac and Caius and Simon Sez was Landsports, to name just a few. Peter discusses his first season in depth and we also touch on the season we met in Paradise Island. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

My guest today and I met at an EXGO Reunion in Cancun in 2008. His first season was as an au pair Mini Club G.O in Club Med Huatulco in 1997 and his first contract season was in Eleuthera in 1998/1999. From Ottawa, please help me welcome Jason “Big Jay” Reid! Before Club Med, Big Jay was finishing up a 2-year diploma from Algonquin College in Ottawa in Recreation & Facilities Management. Part of his studies involved going to Club Med on a 3-week placement. His roommate that first season was none other than the Chief of Circus, Darwin. As a result of that pairing, Big Jay was determined to learn Circus and became involved with the Circus Shows, as he loved everything about Trapeze (learning the boards, pulling safety lines and catching during the comedy skits of the Circus Shows). He shares a few funny stories with the same theme-almost losing his bathing suit on a picnic boat or losing his bloomers during a circus skit! Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

My guest today is from Vancouver and we worked together in Club Med Buccaneer’s Creek in Martinique during the 1998/1999 season, which was her first season as an Aerobics G.O. She arrived at the village in November 1998 while it was undergoing a labor dispute. Everyone, please help me give a warm welcome to Cherine! Cherine gives a detailed account of her first season and what it was like starting her Club Med career in such a difficult and challenging time, that was the labor dispute. Before Club Med, Cherine was a member of the UBC All Star Team (Cheerleading) and was on the NBA Vancouver Grizzlies Stunt & Acrobatic Team and she even got a bronze medal in the Canadian National Aerobics Competition (CNAC) in 1998. Today she is a member of the Mom Bop Band, which is 90’s-style pop music suited for moms, dads, parents and kids alike (please check them out on Instagram @mombopband and their YouTube channel Mom Bop). Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClyIcQ91S8q_zFHEOYymv0Q

https://www.instagram.com/mombopband/

My guest today hails from the Garden State and is the author of the book “Sex, Surf and Sunburn-My Life Inside Club Med”. His first season was in Club Med Turks & Caicos in the Summer of 1999 as a Scuba G.O. Please help me welcome to the podcast, V.J. “Padre” Mochel! V.J. recounts how he went to Club Med twice as a G.M and that is where he got bit by the Scuba bug. He did not have an interview or audition when he was hired and sent to Turks (I know, right?!). V.J. shares his favorite JoJo the dolphin story and what it was like being the permanent guest host of the foam party in Turks & Caicos and how that came about. There is much more discussed in this episode, so please give a listen and when you get the chance, please check out V.J.’s books below in the links provided. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

https://www.lulu.com/en/ca/shop/vj-mochel/sex-surf-and-sunburn/ebook/product-1k8eepky.html?page=1&pageSize=4

https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/vj-mochel/after-the-party/ebook/product-1vkzzpy7.html?fbclid=IwAR2JSsZpj-Q6ptAfVlLpcIcOE9_QOqnaUjWBlab9jxXtzeWRLzYW3PO2_po&page=1&pageSize=4